Diversityconcernsresolutelyopposepersecution，butalsocastdoubtonexclusionarypolicies，includingsomethatareonlyindirectexclusions.Americanpoliciespersecutingandexcludinghomosexualsinthemid-twentiethcenturydidnotdiscouragehomosexuality，butdidforcemostlesbiansandgaymenintosecretlives，whatwecall“thecloset”（Chauncey，1994，epilogue）Forthehomosexualminority，aworldofpublicmasksandsecretsexliveswasemotionallydevastatingandinherentlyunstable.Policiesencouragingdiscretionandprudenceintheworkplaceandotherpublicenvironmentsarefine，butthoseruthlesslycoercingadultstohideinclosetsarenotuseful.
Aregimeoftheclosetalsoimposescostsonthirdparties.Themostunfortunateexampleismarriage.InAmericaofthe1950s，andprobablyinChinatoday，mostgaymenandlesbiansmarriedpersonsoftheoppositesex-typicallywithouttellingtheirheterosexualpartnersabouttheirtruesexualfeelings.Mostofthesemarriageswereunhappyforbothpartners，andcertainlyunfairtopartnerswhoweremisinformed.Today，somebisexualorgaymaleAmericansstillmarryorhavesexwithwomen，butwithouttellingthemthattheyarealsohavingsexwithmen.ManyoftheseunsuspectingwomenhavebeeninfectedwiththeHIVvirusthatcausesAIDS.Moregenerally，medicalexpertshavefoundthatAIDS-preventioncampaignsdependheavilyoncooperationwithgayandbisexualmalecommunitiesandhaverecommendedagainstgay-stigmatizingpolicies（e.g.，PhilipsonandPosner，1993）.
ThelowestAIDSratesamongWesternsocietiesareinScandinavia，whosecountriesnotonlyabandonedanti-gaylawsandpolicies，butadoptedlawsaffirmativelybarringanti-gaydiscrimination.Indeed，Denmarkasthefirstnationintheworldtorecognizesame-sexunions（1989），andallitsNordicneighborshavefollowedsuit-withfurtherdeclinesinAIDSrates.Expertshavefoundaconnectionbetweentheirpro-gaypoliciesandlowerratesofsexuallytransmitteddiseases（seeEskridgeandSpedale，2006）.
（c）Efficiency.Amodernefficientsocietyunderstandsthathumancapitalisitsgreatestasset.NowhereisthismoretruethaninthePeople’sRepublicofChinaandtheUnitedStates.Everyoneisneededtocontributetoinnovationandothersocialprojects.Andeveryoneshouldcontributeinwaysthatsuithisorhertalents，expertise，andabilities.Policiesthatsortpeople’scontributionsbaseduponarbitrarycriteria，suchasrace，underminetherationalityneededtoadvancesocialprojects.Forexample，ifacountryhadarulethatnoracialminoritycouldbelicensedasanengineer，therewouldbeagreatunfairnesstominoritypersonswhowantedtobeengineers.Butthegreaterunfairnesswouldbetothesocietyasawhole，foritwouldbedeprivedofcountlesspersonswhowouldbegoodengineers，andperhapssomewhowouldbethebestthecountrycouldhopetofind.
Thesameistrueoflesbiansandgaymen.Theyarejustascapableasotherkindsofcitizens.Statepoliciesexcludingthemfromcertainprofessions（includingeducation）willdeprivethecountryoftalentandenergyneededtotrainthenextgeneration.Exclusionsofhomosexualsfromgovernmentservicewouldhaveasimilareffect.Thegeneralpointisthatone’ssexualorientationisirrelevanttoone’sabilitytodoagoodjobinamodernsociety.Policies，includingprivateones，thatdiscriminateareunderminingacountry’sabilitytocompeteinworldmarketsandtocarryoutpublicprojectsathome.
Tobesure，thereisapartiallycountervailingefficiencyconsideration.Institutionsandworkplacesaredelicatemechanisms，andtheyaregovernedbyrulesthatwouldseemunfairtotheoutside.Thisisthejustificationcommonlyheard，sometimespersuasively，foranti-gaydiscriminations.TheUnitedStatesstillexcludeslesbians，gaymen，andevenbisexualsfrommilitaryservice.Onthewhole，thisisprobablyagrosslyinefficientpolicy，butitsjustificationisthatyoungadolescentmenwouldbeuncomfortableservingwithopenlygaybunkmates（EskridgeandHunter，2003，chap.5）.Inmyview，thebetteraccommodationofsuch（exaggerated）fearswouldbeapolicywhichallowedgaypeopletoserveinthearmedforces，butallowedsomeself-selectionamongtheyoungrecruits.
3.Whatstepsshouldbetakentoassurenon-discriminationrightsforlesbiansandgaymen？
Therearegoodreasonsforamodernsocietytoeliminateanystatediscriminationsagainstlesbiansandgaymen，andeventoprohibitsuchdiscriminationinprivateworkplaces.Butthesereformscannotbeinstitutedimmediatelyinsocieties，liketheUnitedStates（untilrecently）andChina，wheremostpeoplearepoorlyinformedabouthomosexualityandarefearfuloflesbiansandgaymen.Notonlywillthepeoplerefusetocooperatewithanti-discriminationmeasures，buttherecouldbeabacklashagainstgaypeopleaswellasthegovernment.Cautionisneeded.Equalitynowisnotpossible.
Butequalityovertimeisbothpossibleanddesirable.Discriminationagainstlesbiansandgaymenwillerode，overtime，onceordinarypeoplelearnmoreaboutthissexualminority.Thewayforthemtolearnmoreisnotjustgovernmenteducationalcampaigns，butmeetingandworkingwithopenlygaycountrymenandwomen.Onceordinarypeopleperceivethathomosexualsareprettymuchlikethemselves，discriminatoryattitudeswilldiminish.Aneffectivereformstrategyiswouldproceedinthreesteps，perhapscarriedoutoveralongperiodoftime（generally，EskridgeandSpedale，2006，chap.6；Waaldijk，2001）.